Identical twin sister duo Jacquelyn & Kathryn Smith (aka Jacky Sommer & DatKat) have been spreading the good sound around NYC since the early 2000s. They started The Analog Soul Show on East Village Radio exploring the deeper, darker side of techno and house with guests like Function to Simbad, Roland Appel, Slam Mode, and Dj Qu.

The show finished in 2009 but the sisters remain tastemakers in the NYC underground scene as well as playing across Europe, exploring the full spectrum of electronic music, from minimal, acid and Detroit techno to electro, dub and D&B.

Good Room got the sisters to ask each other the hard questions on life, music and food ahead of their set at Good Room on January 29th.

DatKat: If u weren’t a dj what other career path if any would you choose?

Jacky Sommer: Hmm… well I love food. And love to cook. So catering perhaps? I don’t think I’d last a day in a restaurant kitchen tho as a chef. I cook way to slow. But music has always been my path, so tough to say.

What artist(past or present) would you want to spend a day with and what would you do together?

It would probably have to be Kate Bush. I’d honestly just want to have a music session with her. Like a YouTube sesh. To hear what she’s feeling at the moment. Her music is so amazing and on such another level. I’d love to experience what inspires her.

How would you describe your production?

I like to make electronic, like breakbeats, ambient, dubby vibes… not necessarily
House or techno. I’d say it’s dark and Melodic…cinematic….

Jacky Sommer: what genre of electronic music do u enjoy playing the most? Why?

DatKat: Probably Downtempo/Triphop. This was the foundation for my shift to electronic music.

What is your favorite techno label and why?

This is a hard question as there’s just too many artists. But If I had to name one favorite I’d say End to End. Such a seminal Detroit label, with some of my fav artirts like Scan 7, Marty Bonds, Echoplex (all time fav). The sound is the perfect blend of both hard and melodic Techno.

What song or albums are on repeat this week and how does that sound play (or not) into ur upcoming set?

I’ve been listing to Main Source – Breaking Atoms alot this past week. “Im looking at the front door” has been played about 100 times. I dont know that the sound exactly plays into the set, although it could. I think what distingues Analog Soul is that our sets are so across the board;so who knows. If I feel it you might hear some Hip Hop.

DatKat and Jacky Sommer are playing in the Bad Room on January 29th at the MeanRed party with Omar S, Generation Next, John FM and Turtle Bugg. You can buy tickets here.

SLOW TO SPEAK
Music unites, or so the saying goes, and yet only a few times in history has this saying actually proved to be true. Well aware of the legacy of underground club culture firmly rooted in NYC’s vibrant mixture of personalities and possibilities, Slow to Speak is determined to reignite, resurrect if you will, the lost possibilities of NYC’s legacy, determined to bring about the rare mixture of elements and determined atmospheric tailoring that when assembled exactly comprise the formula for a true party.

Slow to Speak’s Paul Nickerson and Frances Englehardt are the pair behind the Celebrate Life parties that have been running since 1999. They are also the pair behind the legendary record stores DopeJams and Preserved Instincts. Whether they’re playing the in the shop, on a boat or in a club, Slow to Speak always bring raw energy and emotions to the decks. They use music as storyteller and social weapon, such that dance records and culture can once again speak to our everyday trials and wildest of dreams.

TIAGO
Hailing from Lisbon where he is a weekly resident at Lux Frágil, Tiago has a laid back intensity that is reflected in the expansive and inquisitive nature of his sets. Raised on good music in his home, turned on to drumming by his older brother, he came to DJ’ing via live music. He has been at it for close to twenty years, and in the last decade added production work to his resume with releases on James Murphy’s DFA, Prins Thomas’ Internasjonal or Lovefingers’ ESP Institute. He also runs his own label Interzona13 which showcases his music and other artists he digs.

LLOYDSKI
Good Room resident and Tiki Disco legend Lloydski has been kicking it around NYC for 13 years, taking his record bag with him everywhere he goes. Growing up around DJs, he was influenced by everything from The Human League to experimental jazz to disco. His favorite record is still ‘Is It All Over My Face’ by Loose Joints, but his best records are the dollar records he found digging around town at places like A1 or Academy.

]]>http://www.goodroombk.com/dope-jams-valentines-day-ball-with-tiago-and-lloydski/feed/0South London Ordnance at Good Room on January 23http://www.goodroombk.com/south-london-ordnance-at-good-room-on-january-23/
http://www.goodroombk.com/south-london-ordnance-at-good-room-on-january-23/#commentsWed, 20 Jan 2016 19:35:54 +0000http://www.goodroombk.com/?p=1385

Good Room presents…

SOUTH LONDON ORDNANCE
YOUNG MALE
SHEEPSHEAD
BLACKY II
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TOM OF ENGLAND in the Bad Room

SOUTH LONDON ORDNANCE
Joining the dots between driving dub techno, classic acid and earthy, reduced house music – South London Ordnance has spent the last few years developing a unique voice as both a DJ and a producer.

Last year South London Ordnance returned with a series of releases that offer a much more refined, but altogether grittier sound. His single on Aery Metals, ‘Sex Fortress’ draws from a classic techno framework, but referencing industrial, minimal and cold wave music. He has an aesthetic that satisfies club leanings and cerebral textures, a sound that places the artist more in line with previous remixer Nik Void and current collaborators, C.A.R. and Femme En Fourrure.

YOUNG MALE (live)
Young Male is a techno project begun in 2008 by Quinn Taylor, a producer and DJ based in Brooklyn, New York. He is the co-founder of the New York crew/record label White Material, a group of techno, house and noise musicians. His live performances utilise a Roland TR909 drum machine, mixer, guitar fx pedals, and eerie sound textures. His first record was self-released in August of 2012 on White Material Records.

He displays more commonality with the sleek productions of Function and his Sandwell District associates than anything to have been inspired by America’s contemporary noise techno artists, pitched somewhere right between classic Detroit minimalism and the more forceful techno which was prominent in New York in the early 90s.

TOM OF ENGLAND
The Good Room resident is known for his all-night ragers that take dancers on a journey from odd-ball disco and leftfield rock to tripped-out techno and acid traxxx. Losing your shit on the dancefloor is not uncommon when seeing this legend.

The entire Good Room staff was deeply saddened to hear of the death of Sir David Bowie on Monday. He played such a big part in all of our lives and we wanted say thank you for the music.

We teamed up with Classic Album Sundays team for a special Tuesday night event to share the story of his life and some of his most important music from the past 40 years.

Ron Like Hell told us about one of his most important records, ‘The Rise and Fall of Ziggy Stardust and the Spiders from Mars’ and Justin Strauss shared his memories of Bowie and the glam rock movement in NYC in the 70s.

It got very emotional during the CAS presentation of Ziggy with more than a few people getting teary-eyed while listening to the album. But we soon danced it out when DJs Honey Dijon, Justin Strauss, Tommy James and MaTT De Vlieger played some of their favorite Bowie tunes under the disco ball.

Bowie was one of those people who moved your soul and that was very evident last night when a room full of strangers came to celebrate his life. The passion and energy people had when the DJs dropped tracks like ‘Let’s Dance’ and ‘Under Pressure’ was like nothing we’ve ever seen on the dancefloor. We think it was a party Ziggy would be proud of.

We want to thank the Village Voice for coming out and covering the show. All photos originally appeared on their website, taken by Kylie Shaffer.

DuskTillDone was created in September of 2013 by a group of Boston area dance music enthusiasts in order to provide an alternative space for people to dance to underground house and techno music late into the night. Rise After-hours which was about to close and the lack of another late night venue led to a need for pop up events that focused on the music.

Boston has a 2am liquor curfew that prohibits long extended sets fromdjs where they can truly showcase their talent of programming music over the course of a long night. This is something that Boston has long had to endure and caused many people to frequent events in other cities such as New York, Montreal, and Miami where the culture of the cities themselves are more conducive to the arts and music. DuskTillDone took influence from events attended in New York such as Blkmarket Membership and Resolute, as well as pop up events in Montreal and Washington DC.

The parties started off in very small spaces around the Boston area and started to grow into bigger locations as a following started to form. They took place in barber shops, lofts, factories, recording studios, warehouses, and even large apartment spaces were used. It was truly an underground experience – you had to receive the location the day of the event by rsvping via email.

These events became well known in the Boston and the New England area attracting music fans as it became a haven for a truly unique experience. Djs such as Adultnapper, Danny Howells, Dj Three, Mr. C, La Fleur, Dance Spirit, Pete Moss, Naveen G, Will Monotone, Justin Sloe (Droog), Mike Swells, Sarah Myers, Blueshift, and many other guests have played their events. The brand also has started throwing events in the larger clubs of Boston and New York including it’s final event of 2015 at Bijou with special guest Matt Tolfrey of Leftroom Records.

DuskTillDone are partying at Good Room on December 10 with Watergate resident La Fleur. Tickets available here. residents are currently comprised of co-founder Patrick Barry, Johnny Vaz, sudo, Tom Bartlett, and Keith Mattar in the Boston area as well as Chris Luzz who is New York based. Recently DuskTillDone added the legendary LA-based Mr. C as one of it’s quarterly residents. 2016 promises to be another step forward for DuskTillDone with events already scheduled in Boston, Providence, and New York.

A party for gentlemen who like the boom, Wrecked, The Carry Nation and Occupy the Disco are coming together on December 19 to keep you all dancing till dawn.

Good Room regulars, Ron Like Helland Ryan Smith (Wrecked) and Nita Aviance & Will Automagic (The Carry Nation) are known for throwing legendary parties across NYC for queers, Queens and anyone who likes to shake their thing on the dancefloor.

Good Room got the guys to ask each the hard questions about sports, propaganda and cartoon comparisons ahead of the party.

Wrecked: Oh yes, we’re massively into sports. Everything from watersports (don’t ever stand below Ryan and Ron will only do it if there is not an empty toilet), to tonsil hockey and watching guys run buy with their weenies flopping around in their pants. We’re also good at chain smoking, binge drinking and dance offs.

If you could go back in time to any party/club where would you go?

Well, I’m bad at making decisions as there is too many things I’d love to see from The Saint to the Garage or the early Loft. Also, the early days of Acid House in London or the rise of the Balearic sound or even the early Snax parties in Berlin. There were so many parties, clubs or just places that created a moment which has had an impact on me. BUT if I had to choose just one – it’d be the Paradise Garage I guess. I don’t think anything could top that energy.

What classic tv duo would you compare yourselves to?

Beavis and Butthead

Wrecked: Have you ever had a massive fight in the DJ booth? If so, what happened? Did anyone get smacked?
Carry: No. But we heard you guys have. Next Question?

Let’s say you guys were going on a cross country journey to carry a message across the nation, what would it be?

Get Tested. Know your status. Carry Hard and Prosper.

We we’re lucky enough to cross paths in Europe this summer after you guys played Glastonbury. It sounded like quite the rage. So who was the biggest mess? Nita or Will and what happened? We want stories.As shocking as this may sound, we tend to keep it cute until all of our DJing duties are finished. After that all bets are off. Maybe ask the Horse Meat Disco guys, they might have a better recollection than us

If you could make one record disappear for good what would it be? On the other hand, what record would you say could soundtrack your life?
Disappear: That Black Eyed Peas song they use in the Sandal’s ad.

REGIS
Karl O’Connor is most certainly Regis and it is also highly probable that he propagates other pseudonyms . This has only added to the greater mythology surrounding the influential Downwards label that he has run with fellow art terrorist Peter Sutton ( Female ) since 1993. Unconventional and single-minded to say the least ( what label can boast a back catalogue free of the industry standard cash cow remix ) by decentralising the focus on the dj/producer personality, he remains one of the more highly regarded creative forces within the British techno/electronic scene. Degenerate art indeed.

VERONICAVASICKAVeronicaVasicka is synonymous with Minimal Wave, the label she started in 2005 to release overlooked DIY synth records from the ’70s and ’80s. Its musical remit soon became a kind of genre in its own right. Combining her digging skills with a sharp eye for photography and design, she’s singlehandedly turned Minimal Wave into one of the most visually and sonically appealing labels out there, with her tireless archival work shining a light onto a generation of obscure bands and producers. Vasicka runs another label, Cititrax, which she uses to release music that doesn’t fall into the Minimal Wave sphere.

ALEX FROM QUEENS
Alex first heard dance music blasting from an IROC Z blazing by his baby crib in Queens County, NYC. He started Capriccio in 2011 for those who want heat, something beyond the dance, mystical, raw, dirty, romantic, futuristic with guest artists including Juan Atkins, Egyptian Lover, Traxx, Reade Truth, DUST, Hieroglyphic Being, Patrick Russell, and Carlos Souffront He’s launching a new label, Fleurs du Mal, which will be releasing productions from Crimen Excepta, Upsetting Keys, and others as well as his own.

“I want to tap into a higher realm; heaven or god or the universe” – That is Nicuri’s goal when making music. Anyone who has heard the Jersey DJ can assure you that Nicuri will take you to other places when he’s DJing.

Obsessed with music from when he was a kid, DJing and producing was a natural progression for Nicuri. His journey ramped up when he met fellow Jersey DJs DJ Qu and Joey Anderson and became a member of the Exchange Place crew. In the years following he get coveted spots at clubs like Berghain in Berlin and Concrete in Paris.

Today he continues to share his solid output on his own label Sound Theories, with more releases scheduled for 2016. Good Room caught up with Nicuri ahead of his set on December 12 with Heurco S. to learn more about his musical journey and philosophies on music.

Good Room: When did you buy your first set of turntables?There were from someone else, they were used. That was in 04/05. That was my first 1200s from David Salazar, that was one of the guys from Exchange Place. I bought a DJ in a box with two turntables and a mixer. Then I get the used ones which I still have, I kept them in good shape.

When did your musical journey start?Music and I go way back, in the early 80s. Whenever music was shown to me, I remember my brother showing me salsa records at a very young age, around four or five. That was my first musical journey into sound. I progressed, listening to Prince, Stevie Wonder. I even listened to metal bands, new wave and punk back in the 80s. I was an MTV kid, I was into all genres.

I didn’t get into house and techno until later. I knew about house in the mid-80s but it wasn’t something I was thrilled about. Back in the late 80s I was really into hip hop and rap music. I listened to house and I was like ‘huh?’. The thing I was exposed to was acid house in 87/88. I think back to 1990 and a friend told me it wasn’t just acid house. I was into Larry Heard, Masters at Work, Logic. It was just a whole different style of music for and and I was about 13 years old.

I’ve been listing to music for a long time. We listened to underground radio stations. We would go skateboarding and listen to them and it would get stuck in my head.

How did you meet DJ Qu and Joey and the whole Exchange Place crew.I met Qu, back then he was going out with Marjorie Smarth, she was a house dancer, she’s very well known in the house community. I met her through a friend. She worked a couple of blocks away from where I live. From there I met Qu. He was the first one I met back in 99/2000. I didn’t meet Joey until three or four years afterwards.

Had he started the Exchange Place Crew at that point?That came around in 2005. That’s something Joey Anderson came up with the terminology and it just stuck. It’s an exchange place, right here in Jersey City. I saw it as an exchange place yes, we hang out and exchange records and exchange ideas. Then we would make records together, house or techno. It could be soulful house, techno, whatever, just see where the energy would take it. That’s the way I interpreted Exchange Place. I’m sure Joey and Qu have their own interpretations of Exchange Place.

Were you producing music then?I was out of the fold then. I was doing my own thing, going to school. I worked my way back because I was still into music. 2005/06, that’s when I started producing. The first release was on Strength Music in 2008. I was producing a couple years before that though.

Why did you want to start producing?It was really about that music. I wanted to explore my creativity. I saw these guys doing it and I thought if they can do it I can give it a shot, let me see where I can take it. I thought, where can I start, I want to be part of this.

Your music has always been about a journey and connecting with a crowd. Why does that side of the music inspire you.There’s a certain sound that connects people through vibrations. Basically the bass will connect through the lower chakras. A lot of bass is really more primal. Other kinds of instruments will, for some reason, connects to other parts of the body, it could be the heart. It just depends but I prefer pads and strings because they operate on a different chakra level.

Everyone can drop a beat but to make it something else, for me that’s a challenge. I want to tap into a higher realm; heaven or god or the universe. That’s were my music goes, I’m trying to reach up there. People have their different interpretations but I want to connect with the creator and the universe. I could easily do a party record with a kick but I really want to connect up there. Everyone has a connection to the universe and this is my way of trying to get up there. If people who listen to my music and can sense that, cool. That’s just my way of doing my own music, trying to tune into that realm.

You’ve released a lot of tracks this year, you must be getting pretty high up.I did one for CTRL in Italy. I’m happy to be part of that project and that I was able to contribute to that, the United Republic of Artists. And ‘Replay’ in December, hopefully before the end of the year.

You released your own label Sound Theories at Good Room last year, could you tell me about that.It was easy to put out music in that sense. I didn’t want to rely on another person or label for what I can do with my music. Record labels will only accept one track or ask you to change it. You are no longer the artist. You stop being an artist, you become someone else’s machine. Not that I have any issues with other labels but it’s just easier to put out your own music.

Will the Replay EP come out on Sound Theories?At this moment, yes. Right now I’m still trying to get past this other thing going on. My brother passed away a few weeks ago and I got stuck because it’s family first. It was tragic and suddenly DJing just went out the window. I’ve been on hiatus but I’m looking to put three or four things out next year.

We’re brinigng in 2016 with some on New York’s finest DJs and some tropical vibes. Tiki Disco’s Eli Escobar, Lloydski and Andy Pry have teamed up with Good Room for a night of disco, house and sweat on the dancefloor. Tickets include five hour open bar from 9pm – 2am, champagne toast at midnight, party favors and early morning food buffet plus club hours will be extended from 9am to 6am.

ELI ESCOBAR
Eli Escobar is the quintessential New York City DJ. Over the past ten years he’s built a reputation around his parties as well as his label Night People. With a style based on his diverse tastes, Eli subversively drops his influences and personal favorites into even the most commercial of sets. What Eli brings to the table in his production, through the looking glass of his career is an understanding of music’s sustainability.

LLOYDSKI

Good Room resident and Tiki Disco legend Lloydski has been kicking it around NYC for 13 years, taking his record bag with him everywhere he goes. Growing up around DJs, he was influenced by everything from The Human League to experimental jazz to disco. His favorite record is still ‘Is It All Over My Face’ by Loose Joints, but his best records are the dollar records he found digging around town at places like A1 or Academy.

ANDY PRY

From the age 13 when his DJ career began, Andy Pry has been picking the tracks in his own way. Andy’s sets lean heavy on future/past classics and toe the line between new disco beats and solid house freaks. Career highlights including one quit job to tour with The Rapture , one shared dressing room with Daft Punk, a residency at the infamous Mr. Black club and the creation of Tiki Disco in 2009.

Name:JohnBareraOccupation: DJ, Producer, part time Record SalesmanHometown: Boston

Tell us about your music…I aim to make soulful dance music, I am influenced heavily by Detroit techno and I also love house music & disco. This makes up the foundation of my sound, but there are elements of electro, funk, reggae, rock, jazz & r&b as well.

What is your holy grail of records and why? Do you own it on wax?I have a few huge cornerstones, but they are not obscure records. It’s always changing between Al Green, Sly Stone, Stevie, Marvin & Curtis but probably my most prized record is “A Love Supreme” by John Coltrane. It’s likely the most beautiful piece of music I have ever heard. I have the wax and listen often.

Dead or alive, if you could pick anyone to dance to one of your sets who would it be and why?Ralf Hütter, one of the most important electronic musicians to ever live, and seemingly one of the stiffest and most elusive guys out there. I just want to see this cat cut a rug, coming up to me asking for track IDs, almost spilling drinks on me and shit.

Who are some producers or DJs you’ve heard lately that have blown your mind?My favorite house DJs are Derrick Carter and Tama Sumo, my favorite Techno DJs are DVS1 and Rolando. These people have all blown my mind with their sets recently. I love the Black Madonna too, Pittsburgh Track Authority & Carlos Souffront. A producer who blows my mind is Floating Points, his new ” Silhouettes (I, II & III) ” is an incredible piece.

Has dance music changed for better or worse since you decided to enter the business?I think it has changed for the better actually, I have been DJing for 12 years now and since I started it feels like there is more of a scene, more of a community, more interesting parties and spaces for the music that I enjoy.

What would be your last meal on earth and to what soundtrack?Italian food, wine, “A Love Supreme”.

John Barera is playing at Good Room on December 12 at the REMEDY party in the Bad Room with Maroje T, Amourette and Jen Orlando.